This invention relates to a versatile stabilizing belt for a tandem pair and more particularly to a tandem belt having hand grip assemblies readily adjustable to different locations along the belt.
It is common practice for the rearward person of a tandem pair to hold on by gripping the forward person about the waist. Such has been the characteristic of tandem relationships on motorcycles, toboggans, snowmobiles, horses, as well as in some sports or recreational activities such as waterskiing and even parachuting. Where the tandem relationship is to be maintained for only a short period, the inconvenience or awkwardness of such improvised holding does not present an especially serious hazard. Too frequently, however, the tandem relationship is repeated or maintained for relatively long periods, with the rearward person developing fatigue in the arms and hands and attempting to adjust positions for the arms and hands in a manner which induces instability and the hazard of losing one's grip and slipping away from the forward person.
Tandem rider belts proposed by others have not, insofar as known, enjoyed any significant use. Most have provided hand grip members that must always remain in fixed positions on the belts. This approach induces fatigue because of the rigidity or single position of hand gripping afforded the rearward person. Some have proposed an exterior hand grip belt extending parallel to the waist belt for the forward person, so as to allow the rearward person changes of position for hand gripping. This approach, however, relies on a very strong hand grip at an awkward hand angle on the exterior hand grip belt, with the result that hand fatigue is induced because of the awkward strong gripping required. Others have proposed movable hand grip members that easily slip out of a selected position, which in turn causes the rearward person to expend energy in attempting to maintain the hand grip members against slippage movement from a desired position.
Insofar as is known, no one heretofore has provided a stabilizing belt equipped with adjustable hand grip members, easily independently adjustable to any position along the length of the waist belt of the forward person, but which remain stable in selected position for varied hand grip orientation by the rearward person of the tandem pair after the belt is secured about the waist of the forward person.